The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1913. NATURALISATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 31, 11 June 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1913. NATURALISATION.

That the naturalisation laws of the Empire are in an unsatisfactory state is made apparent by recent cases that have arisen, and particularly by the one referred to in the Canadian legislative assembly a few weeks ago. Three Russians, who some years hack settled in Canada, and in due course became naturalised Canadians, desir-

! mg to re-visit the land of their birth, j quite unsuspectingly took ship and j eventually reached Russia. They were I immediately arrested, and after having , been tried by court-martial on a ; charge of having evaded military scrj vice, were sent to the mines in Siberia j for life. The case is a. very cruel one, j but it serves at least to ishow that the effect of naturalisation in Canada is to make the person so naturalised a British subject within the limits ofi •the Dominion only, and it is so stated I I in the certificate issued. To most people it will come as a shock to know that Xew Zealand is in exactly j tbe same position, and our Aliens Act j distinctly provides that every person | admitted to naturalisation in this Do- | minion shall enjoy all the rights and | capacities that a natural born subject of the United Kingdom can enjoy or transmit, within New Zealand only. I The advantage of such rights and j capacities appears to vanish- if the adopted subject chooses to leave these friendly shores, and consequently he is not. strictly speaking, under British protection when beyond the limits of the Dominion. It is, of course, understood that naturalised subjects, who have become so in New Zealand, Canada,' or elsewhere, are accorded the good offices, of British consular offices in all countries. But this protection was of no avail in the cast 1 in question, and the Russian Government paid no heed to the Canadian nationality of their former subjects. They would, however, probably have been bound by international require-

ments tn recognise the British nationality of those subjects had an Imperial naturalisation law, administered by an Imperial sovereign authority, been in force. It is stated that the draft of such- a law has been in existence; for over four years, but ids introduc-! tion in the House’of Commons has been delayed by the reluctance of tin 1 Governments of Canada and ol the. Commonwealth of Australia to subscribe to its provisions through tear of an’ influx of Asiatic immigration. But this difficulty has now, it is believed, been overcome, and necessary concurrent legislation having been attended to, the Imperial Bill will be formally submitted to the British Parliament.